چکیده (انگلیسی):

Traditional diets of people living in the Mediterranean basin are, among other components,
very rich in extra-virgin olive oil, the most typical source of visible fat. Olive is a priceless
source of monounsaturated and di-unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenolic antioxidants and vitamins.
Oleuropein is the main glycoside in olives and is responsible for the bitter taste of immature and
unprocessed olives. Chemically, oleuropein is the ester of elenolic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl ethanol,
which possesses beneficial effects on human health, such as antioxidant, antiatherogenic, anticancer,
anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The phenolic fraction extracted from the
leaves of the olive tree, which contains significant amounts of oleuropein, prevents lipoprotein oxidation.
In addition, oleuropein has shown cardioprotective effect against acute adriamycin cardiotoxicity
and an anti-ischemic and hypolipidemic activities. Recently, oleuropein has shown
neuroprotection by forming a non-covalent complex with the Ab peptide, which is a key hallmark
of several degenerative diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson. Thus, a large mass of research has
been accumulating in the area of olive oil, in the attempt to provide evidence for the health benefits
of olive oil consumption and to scientifically support the widespread adoption of traditional Mediterranean
diet as a model of healthy eating. These results provide a molecular basis for some of the
benefits potentially coming from oleuropein consumption and pave the way to further studies on
the possible pharmacological use of oleuropein to prevent or to slow down the cardiovascular
and neurodegenerative diseases.